Dress or skirt gage.



No. 809,464. PATBNTED JAN. 9, 1906. I, M. ROUSE.

DRESS 0R SKIRT GAGE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1, 1905.

aswawtoz Wham; I I w, wwwv 7/:ZoQ-4W m WW IDA M. HOUSE, OF KANSAS CITY,MISSOURI.

DRESS OR SKIRT GAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1906.

Application filetl August 1,1905- Serial No. 272,253

To all whom it Wmy concern:

Be it known that I, IDA M. RoUsE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri,have invented new and useful Improvements in Dress or Skirt Gages, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in skirt-gages.

The object of my invention is to provide a gage by which a skirt ordress may be fitted upon the wearer so that the lower edge will hang ata uniform distance at all points from the floor.

My invention provides a device having a vertical transversely graduatedstandard supported on a base adapted to be placed upon the floor, amember having means for engaging and holding the folded lower edge ofthe dress or skirt being vertically adjustable upon the standard andreleasable means being provided for locking the skirt-support in anyposition upon the standard to which it may be adjusted.

Other novel features of my invention are hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 isaside elevation view of the skirt-gage, showing a part of the foldedlower edge of a skirt or dress mounted thereon. Fig. 2 is a top view.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the skirt supporting member.

Similar characters of referencedenote simi lar parts.

1 denotes a horizontal base, preferably provided with feet 2, adapted torest upon the floor. A vertical standard 3 has its lower end securedrigidly to the base 1, said standard being provided with a series oftransverse graduations 4. Vertically slidable upon the standard 3 is askirt or dress support comprising, preferably, a metal U-shaped body,

the horizontal parallel arms 5 and 6, respectively, of which aredisposed one above the other, said arms having each a vertical hole 7,in which the standard 3 is slidable. The vertical portion 8 of the bodybetween the arms 5 and 6 is provided with a transverse screw-threadedhole, in which is fitted a horizontal thumb-screw 9, the inner end ofwhich is adapted to bear against the adjacent edge of the standard 3 forsecuring the skirt thereto in any position in which it may be adjustedthereon. The end of the ,arm 5 distant from the portion Sis providedwith means for supporting a skirt or dress (denoted by 10) andcomprising, preferably, an upwardly-extending arm 11, preferablyresilient and between which and the standard 3 the skirt or dress 10 isadapted to be held.

In operating the invention the skirt-support is vertically adjusted uponthe standard 3 to a position in which the upper side of the arm 5 willregister with the graduation 4 on the standard 3, representing theheight it is desired to have the lower edge of the skirt or dress fromthe floor. The base 1 is then moved upon the floor to a positionadjacent the person to whom the dress or skirt is being fitted, afterwhich the lower edge of the skirt or dress is folded, as shown in Fig.1, and inserted between the arm 11 and the standard 3, the materialbeing folded so that the lower edge of the folded portion rests upon theupper side of the arm 5. The folded portion of the skirt or dress 10thus being held by the arm 11 and standard 3, the hands of the operatorare free to secure the folded portion of the skirt or dress by pinningor stitching, after which the base 1 is moved a convenient distancearound the person wearing the dress or skirt, and the operation justdescribed is repeated. The base 1 is consecutivelymoved from point topoint around the person, the operations described being repeated at eachpoint until the entire lower edge of the skirt has been folded in theproper manner and secured in the folded form. By adjusting theskirt-support upon the standard to any desirable height the dress orskirt may be made to hang at any desired distance from the floor, thedistance all around the skirt or dress being uniform regardless ofirregularities of the figure of the person to whom the dress or skirtis' being fitted. The arm 11 is preferably resilient to accommodate thedevice to material of different thicknesses.

My invention may be subjected to different modifications withoutdeparting from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a skirt-gage, the combination with a base, of a vertical standardmounted thereon, a skirt-support comprising a U-shaped body having thetwo parallel arms disposed horizontally one above the other, said armshaving perforations respectively through which the standard extends, thebody being vertically slidable upon the standard, and one of the arms ofthe body being provided with means for engaging and holding the loweredge of a part of a skirt.

2. In a skirt-gage, the combination with a base, of avertical graduatedstandard mounted thereon, a skirt-support comprising a U- shaped bodyhaving the two parallel arms disposed horizontally one above the other,the arms being vertically slidable upon the standard, one arm beingdisposed so as to indicate the graduations on the standard and providedwith means for engaging and holding the lower edge of a part of a skirt,and releasable means for securing the said body to the standard.

3. In a skirt-gage, the combination with a base, of a vertical standardmounted thereon, a skirt-support comprising a U-shaped body the parallelarms of which are disposed horizontally one above the other and slidablevertically on the standard, one arm having means for engaging andholding the lower edge of a part of a skirt, and the vertical part ofthe U-shaped body having a transverse screw-threaded hole, and asecuring-screw mounted in said threaded hole in the body and adapted tobear against the standard.

4. In a skirt-gage, the combination with a base, of a vertical standardmounted thereon and having aseries of transverse graduations, askirt-support comprising a U-shaped body the parallel arms of which aredisposed horizontally one above the other and slidable vertically eachupon the standard, one arm having means for engaging and holding thelower edge of a part of a skirt and disposed so as to indicate thegraduations on the standard, the vertical portion of the U-shaped bodyhaving a transverse screw-threaded hole, and a securing-screw mounted insaid threaded hole and adapted to bear against said standard.

5. In a skirt-gage, the combination with a base, of a vertical standardmounted thereon, a skirt-support comprising a U-shaped body the parallelarms of which are disposed horizontally one above the other and slidablevertically upon the standard, one arm having thereon anupwardly-extending arm between which and the standard the skirt isadapted to be held, the vertical portion of the body connecting thehorizontal arms having a transverse screw-threaded hole, and asecuring-screw mounted in said hole and adapted to bear against thestandard.

6. In a skirt-gage, the combination with a base, of a vertical standardmounted thereon and having a series of transverse graduations, askirt-support comprising a U-shaped body the parallel arms of which aredisposed horizontally one above the other and slidable vertically uponthe standard, one of said arms having an upwardly-extending arm betweenwhich and the standard the lower edge of a skirt is adapted to be held,the arm having the upwardly-extending arm being disposed so as toindicate the'graduations, the vertical portion of the U-shaped bodyconnecting the parallel arms having a transverse threaded hole, and asecuring-screw mounted in said hole and adapted to bear against thestandard.

7. In a skirt-gage, the combination with a base, of a vertical standardmounted thereon, a skirt-support comprising a U-shaped body having theparallel arms disposed horizontally one above the other and slidablevertically upon the standard, one arm having an upwardly-extendingresilient arm between which and the standard the lower edge of a skirtis adapted to be held, the vertical portion of the body connecting theparallel arms having a transverse screw-threaded hole, and asecuring-screw fitted in said hole and adapted to bear against saidstandard.

8. In a skirt-gage, the combination with a base, of a vertical standardmounted thereon and havingaseries of transverse graduations, askirt-support comprising a U-shaped body the parallel arms of which aredisposed horizontally one above the other and slidable vertically onsaid standard, one arm being disposed so as to indicate the graduationsand having extending upwardly therefrom a I resilient arm between whichand the standard the lower edge of a skirt is adapted to be held, thevertical portion of the body connecting the parallel arms having atransverse screw threaded hole, and a securing screw mounted in saidhole and adapted to bear against the standard.

In testimonv whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

IDA M. ROUSE.

Witnesses WARREN D. HoUsE,

HENRY F. RosE.

